Forget About the Price Tag
by BethSHeartbeat
Summary: Post-ep 27/06/15, Max has just stormed out, leaving Zoe unsure as to how they could fix what seemed to be the only problem in their relationship.


She stayed watching out of the window for a bit, half worried for her partner out in the cold in the car and half waiting for him to realise that he was being childish and walk back in. It wasn't as if how much she's earned was news to him, it'd had been a year since their relationship had started and her pay hadn't changed during that time and yet before Max was always okay with it.  
It got darker outside and Zoe found herself unable to move from the window, she craved her nice warm bed and yet she knew that without Max it wouldn't be the same. Picking up her phone, she dialled the number that was now engrained in her memory and listened as it yet again went to voicemail. Max storming out had broken her heart slightly, she was doing her best at their out there relationship and she thought they were happy but Max storming out had pulled the rug out from underneath her slightly. It reminded her of what life without Max was like and it was something she didn't want to live the reality of. Taking one last look out of the window, she grabbed the keys to the flat and then turned to leave, pausing slightly to grab a pillow that she'd only recently bought.  
Having now stepped out into the outside world, her worry levels significantly increased as she realised how cold it was. She saw his car on the edge of the road, looking abandoned and out of place, she pulled her jacket as close as she could as she reached the car door. It took a moment for her to bring herself to knock on the car window, but as she did Max's head popped up from his makeshift bed.  
"What do you want?" He asked, hostility plain in his voice, as he physically rolled down the window of his ancient car. The tone of his voice angered Zoe a little but it made it even more obvious that they had things to talk about and sort out.  
"To talk." Zoe told him, pulling her coat as close as she could with the pillow in her hand.  
"Zo', I'm not sure we have much to talk about." Max told her, sighing as he spoke.  
"You sound like you're giving up on us Max, and I'm positive that that's not really what you want." Zoe spoke, twinges of sadness making its way into her voice as she spoke.  
"Of course I don't want to give up on us, I love you Zoe."  
"Well then let me in and we can talk." She stared at him for a moment expecting him to react in some way to what she was saying. When nothing seemed to have happened she walked around to the passenger's side of the car that she'd spent so long complaining about, to find that Max had opened the door slightly for her. The car was as cold as she'd expected it to be, only slightly beating the temperatures of the outside world.

"It's cold in here." Zoe commented, feeling awkward for the first time since she'd gotten back together with Max.  
"Yeah." Max replied, not knowing quite what to say. "What was it that you wanted Zoe, because I'm tired?"  
His chair was right down, making it horizontal for him to lie on and yet Max was sat up.  
"Well then you can lie back down." She told him, taking a deep breath before she put her own chair back and put the pillow that she'd been holding down on the seat. Max followed her direction and lay back too, half tempted to reach out to Zoe to keep her warm and yet he didn't know if it was appropriate in the situation. "I'm sorry Max."  
"You know, that's the third time you've said that today." Max thought out loud.  
"I'm sorry about saying your job wasn't important, I'm sorry for booking us a holiday to Greece when you told me to leave it to you. I'm sorry for speaking to you like a child. For those I am genuinely sorry but I can't be sorry for how much I earn. Max there's not a lot I can do about the pay gap, I don't understand why this is suddenly a problem for you, it's been this way the whole time we've been together and yet it's only these last few weeks that it's been a problem." Zoe began. "I know that you expect and feel like you should be looking after and providing for me but that's not the situation we're in and quite frankly I don't think its important Max. How I see it is that what's mine is yours, it's our money Max, not mine." He moved closer to her and yet still didn't touch her.  
"I get that Zo, I really do but there could easily come a day when you change your mind. When you decide you do want to be treated the way you deserve and when you resent being the one buying everything." Max explained.  
"Being treated like I deserve as you put it isn't about material goods, it's about feeling unconditionally loved and desired and that's what you do better than anyone else. I have an idea Max but you have to tell me if you have even a split second of doubt or think it's too much." Zoe spoke, a plan having now formulated in her head.  
"Go on." Max urged.  
"We merge our bank accounts into one joint account, that way nothing is really mine or yours, it's all ours." Zoe thought, it kind of made sense now that they were a serious couple who lived together. Max turned the idea over in his head, weighing up the pros and cons of the idea that Zoe had put forward.  
"A joint account?" Max asked.  
"It was a silly idea, forget I said it." Zoe replied quickly, reaching for the door handle as she spoke before Max pulled her back slightly and into his arms. She'd missed this, after work they'd normally cuddle on the sofa for a few hours before making their way to bed and she had been missing his touch and the feeling she got from spending time with him.  
"Are you sure it's what you want?" Max asked her, gently tucking her hair behind her ear as it fell in front of her face.  
"I wouldn't have suggested if it wasn't what I wanted, it doesn't matter if it's not what you want though." She replied, unwilling to push it now that Max seemed to be back on side although she knew this argument would come back up if it wasn't sorted now.  
"Who said it wasn't what I wanted?" Max asked, confused as to where she had got that message from.  
"You haven't really said anything that would suggest otherwise." She pointed out before she was silence as Max kissed her gently.  
"It's what I want Zoe, I just had to make sure that it was really what you wanted."  
"Really?" Zoe asked, raising her head a little from the pillow to be able to see him better.  
"Yes of course."  
"So we can put any arguments about money behind us indefinitely?" Zoe asked, relieved that they seemed to have worked out a solution to the only thing they seemed to argue about.  
"Yes, I hated arguing with you anyway."  
"I didn't like it either, now can we go back to the warmth and comfort of our bed?" Zoe asked, desperate for sleep.  
"Do you not fancy a night camping in the car?" Max asked playfully and watched as Zoe got straight out of the car. "I'll take that as a no." Max spoke to himself as he got out of the car, locked it and joined his partner as they made their way back into their flat.


End file.
